Semi-Slav Defense: Botvinnik Variation, Lilienthal Variation
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 dxc4 6. e4 b5 7. e5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Nxg5 hxg5 10. Bxg5 Nbd7 11. g3
The Semi-Slav Defense: Botvinnik Variation, Lilienthal Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO D44, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 dxc4 6. e4 b5 7. e5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Nxg5 hxg5 10. Bxg5 Nbd7 11. g3. It is a line of the Semi-Slav Defense. Black is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 11 times by this move order. White won 73%, 9% were drawn and Black won 18%. The most popular continuation is 11… Bb7 (64% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.46 (Stockfish, depth 40; best line 11… Qb6 12. exf6 Bb7 13. Bg2 O-O-O 14. O-O)
- ECO
- D44
- Moves
- 21 plies
- FEN
r1bqkb1r/p2n1p2/2p1pn2/1p2P1B1/2pP4/2N3P1/PP3P1P/R2QKB1R b KQkq - 0 11- PGN
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 dxc4 6. e4 b5 7. e5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Nxg5 hxg5 10. Bxg5 Nbd7 11. g3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1500-1999 | 1 | |
| 2000+ | 10 | |
| All | 11 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 11… Bb7 | 7 (64%) | |
| 11… Qb6 | 3 (27%) | |
| 11… Nxe5 | 1 (9%) |
Master games
190 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 41%, draw 30%, Black 29%). The strongest:
- LCZero 0.31-dag-c93c6a8-BT4-61 (3652) – Stockfish dev-20250118-8e3e22b (3683) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 27 Theory Bonus · 2025-01-23
- StoofvleesII d2 (3479) – LCZero0.31-dag-5350a2e-BT4-6147500 (3628) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 26 Premier 2024 · 2024-05-05
- LCZero0.31-dag-5350a2e-BT4-6147500 (3628) – StoofvleesII d2 (3479) 1-0 · TCEC 26 Premier 2024 · 2024-05-03
- rofChade 3.0 (3486) – Berserk dev10_20220912 (3509) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 23 Premier 2022 · 2022-09-30
- Berserk dev10_20220912 (3509) – rofChade 3.0 (3486) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 23 Premier 2022 · 2022-09-30
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Arsenii2707 (2539) – IM KeyzerSoze (2522) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- GM Elmarmalade (2585) – Dxf7 (2426) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 300 + 0s
- QVC64 (2493) – Trautsj (2452) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 2s
Comes from
Semi-Slav Defense: Botvinnik Variation (8… g5 9. Nxg5) 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 dxc4 6. e4 b5 7. e5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Nxg5
More Semi-Slav Defense lines (all)
- Semi-Slav Defense: Quiet Variation (4… e6 5. Nbd2) D30
- Semi-Slav Defense: Quiet Variation (5. Nbd2 Nbd7) D30
- Semi-Slav Defense: Accelerated Move Order D31
- Semi-Slav Defense: Anti-Noteboom, Stonewall Variation D31
- Semi-Slav Defense: Anti-Noteboom, Stonewall Variation, Portisch Gambit D31
- Semi-Slav Defense: Gunderam Gambit D31
- Semi-Slav Defense: Marshall Gambit D31
- Semi-Slav Defense: Marshall Gambit, Forgotten Variation D31
- Semi-Slav Defense: Marshall Gambit, Main Line D31
- Semi-Slav Defense: Marshall Gambit, Tolush Variation D31
- Semi-Slav Defense: Noteboom Variation D31
- Semi-Slav Defense: Noteboom Variation, Abrahams Variation D31
Opening names and moves from the Lichess openings dataset; statistics from the Lichess open database, 2026-09 (CC0), sample of 12.6 million games, bots excluded; evaluations from Lichess cloud analysis (all CC0). Master games from The Week in Chess #920–#1664 by Mark Crowther, used with permission.